able that could have been acquired recently if we had had such funds. Senator MONRONEY. That is 147 and it goes over to 148, including both pages. MICROFILMING AND PHOTOCOPYING DETERIORATING MATERIALS Mr. MUMFORD. The third part of this request involves microfilming and photocopying deteriorating materials. This is subdivided: $5,000 is to strengthen the current program for replacing by microfilming or other techniques otherwise irreplaceable as reference materials now seriously deteriorating because of the poor quality of the paper, and $15,000 is to inaugurate a program for the preservation of the collection of some 132,000 irreplaceable nitrate photographic negatives and filmstrips by converting to paper prints. Senator MONRONEY. That was denied by the House, was it not? Mr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. The situation here is somewhat parallel to that of our motion picture collection on nitrate Senator MONRONEY. These are stills; is that correct? Mr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir; that is right, but where they are deteriorating badly and will be lost, it is very important for us to copy them for preservation. Senator MONRONEY. What are film strips? That won't include news reels and things of that kind? Mrs. HAMER. No, sir; these are still photographs reproduced on a strip of film. You would like that $15,000. How Senator MONRONEY. I see. much is the total cost of the program? Mr. MUMFORD. I don't know that we have an estimate of that. It might be many, many years before we would need to replace the whole collection. We would only replace those that were in greatest danger of being lost. It would be a gradual conversion program. BOOKS FOR LAW LIBRARY Senator MONRONEY. The next item is "Books for the Law Library. The justifications for the item "Books for the Law Library" will be inserted in the record. The House allowed $120,000 of the $125,000 requested for this. activity. (The justifications referred to follow :) 1. Acquisition of additional legal library materials. To provide for filling significant gaps in the collection, particularly in the Far Eastern, Near Eastern, and African areas; to purchase photoduplicates when originals are not available for purchase; and to meet continuing increases in prices. $15,000 GENERAL STATEMENT This appropriation provides for the purchase of materials for the Law Library, perhaps the largest and most comprehensive collection of lawbooks ever assembled. It constitutes the only means by which the Law Library can acquire those essential materials not received through copyright deposit, international and domestic exchange, transfer from other Government agencies, and gifts. Approximately 66 percent of the appropriation is necessary to purchase foreign law materials. The Congress, the executive departments and agencies, and the Federal courts are dependent upon the Law Library as the most complete and most accessible source of legal information on all subjects for all countries of the world. Continued development of the foreign law collections is imperative for the protection and advancement of Government interests in foreign activities and international relations. Continued preeminence of the Law Library in all fields of law, domestic as well as foreign, prevents wasteful duplication in the working libraries of many Government agencies. The sum of $125,000 is requested for fiscal year 1966. This appropriation has been at the level of $110,000 since fiscal 1963. Since that time the activities of the Law Library have steadily increased, especially in the Far Eastern, Near Eastern, and African areas. The average price of monographs from the major publishing countries has increased 47.5 percent in the past 3 years while in the same areas the average price for continuations, which constitute the core of any law library, increased 32.2 percent for the same period. The programs of the recently created divisions responsible for the Far East, Near East, and Africa call for emphasis to be put upon the completion of primary source materials either in the original or in photoduplicates for Iraq. Kuwait, Iran, Afghanistan, and other countries in the Near East and north Africa where legal materials are usually published in extremely small and difficult to obtain editions. Continued attention will also be given to the acquisition of difficult to obtain materials on Chinese Communist law, of which the Law Library already has one of the finest basic collections outside of mainland China, as well as the completion of collections of Japanese, Korean, and Thai law, and development of strong collections of Indonesian, Malaysian, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Cambodian materials. The European Law Division will continue to strengthen its collections, especially in the fields of Russian and East European law. The American-British Law Divisoin and the Hispanic Law Division will seek to locate and acquire either in the original or in photocopies materials needed to complete and reinforce the collections for their jurisdictions. An increase of $15,000 in this appropriation is requested in order to meet increased costs and to carry out adequately the expanding program outlined above. RESTORATION REQUESTED Senator MONRONEY. You are appealing the $5,000 reduction. Will you please explain why? Mr. MUMFORD. The same considerations apply here, Mr. Chairman, as apply to our general collections, and that is there has been a great increase in publications. This is especially true of the developing countries with new constitutions and new laws, the African nations in particular. There has also been a great increase in prices, and we feel that this additional sum is needed in order for us to acquire the necessary materials. The Law Librarian is here, and you may wish to have him elaborate. Senator MONRONEY. Would he care to say a word about it briefly? EXPLANATION OF NEED Mr. COFFIN. For every one of the new Government programs that comes along we are asked to have the laws, general interpretation of the foreign laws, for the use of Congress, for the executive agencies, and for others. For example, the President's suggestions concerning the economic development of southeastern Asia is likely to throw an additional load on us so far as having specific laws, statutes, et cetera, relating to those areas, so here again we will need to have additional funds to buy additional materials to have them available for the use of Congress, the committees, and so on, as they make a study. Senator MONRONEY. Does the State Department duplicate this collection of laws, or are you the only source of information on this? Mr. COFFIN. No; the State Department does not duplicate it, sir. We are the main source. Senator MONRONEY. They draw on you for most of their resource material? Mr. COFFIN. They do, sir. Senator MONRONEY. You are asking for the additional $5,000 to be replaced. BOOKS FOR THE BLIND I am inserting in the record the justifications for increases requested for "Salaries and expenses, Books for the Blind." (The justifications referred to follow :) SALARIES AND EXPENSES, BOOKS FOR THE BLIND -$5,000 The use of diamond microgroove needles on talking book machines has resulted in longer life of both needles and recordings. Therefore, it is possible to reduce from $25,000 to $20,000 the amount to be used for purchase of needles. 2. Research, development, testing, and evaluation__ The amount of $80,000 per annum provided for research and development has been applied generally to the talking book machine program. It is proposed in 1966, while developments in talking books are being tested and evaluated, to study the possibilities of improving the braille program. It is estimated that $50,000 will be sufficient to procure 2 machines which punch tape and thereby activate braille writers. If successful, this method would permit the economic production of small editions of braille books, provide a more rapid service, facilitate proofreading and lead to improved methods of teaching braille. For 1966, this would result in a reduction of $30,000 in the estimates. -30, 000 Total, decreases. -35, 000 INCREASES 3. Ingrade increases and other anticipated increases in salary costs--- +5, 280 Analysis of increases and decreases—Continued INCREASES-continued Annualization of pay raise cost (supplemental absorption) 4. Printing catalog cards...--- For the cost of printing and distributing to 32 regional libraries specially annotated printed catalog cards covering books for the blind distributed to such libraries. 5. Conversion of machines for use with 8-r.p.m. records_ Research and development already conducted has proven that disc recordings at 8-r.p.m. provide greater economies of production and added convenience to blind persons. It is proposed that 10,000 older machines be converted in fiscal 1966 and that these machines be converted to include the 8-r.p.m. speed. Since the services of the Telephone Pioneers of America will be available to perform these repairs and conversion at no cost for the labor, an increase of $78,000 will provide the necessary parts including 3-speed motors to convert these older machines for use. 6. Books on tape and tape playback machines__ The Division for the Blind has been planning, designing, developing an entire system for recording books on magnetic tape, duplicating them in this form in quantity, and circulating them in cassettes to blind persons nationally. While testing and improvements will continue, this system will be put into use in fiscal 1966. It is estimated that $100,000 will provide approximately 1,000 tape cassette machines. An additional $50,000 will provide funds for approximately 5,000 tape cassettes including recording and duplicating of books. 7. New positions (2)----. To maintain quality control books on magnetic tape : Contribution to retirement.... Group life insurance__. Contribution to health benefits-- Subtotal.. To provide clerical assistance in the braille hand copying process: $5,000 17 50 5, 392 1 GS-3 Contribution to retirement_. Group life insurance_ Contribution to health benefits---. Subtotal Total, new positions--- Total, increases__ 4, 005 260 13 50 4,328 9, 720 +251, 400 +216, 400 New increase____ HOUSE ALLOWANCE AND VALUE OF PROGRAM Senator MONRONEY. The House has allowed the full budget estimate $2,675,000. You support that amount, and I believe you have already covered that. Mr. MUMFORD. Yes, indeed, Mr. Chairman. This is an extremely valuable program, one of the finest things in the way of library service in the country, and we endorse this very strongly. Senator MONRONEY. Its usage is increasing all the time, too, I believe you said. Mr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. Senator MONRONEY. The blind are finding out more about the programs and the different blind agencies. The State agencies that distribute this for you; do they not? Mr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir; we are now serving 90,000 blind people. Senator MONRONEY. How many talking books are made a year? Mr. MUMFORD. Approximately 400 new titles are put on talkingbook records. Senator MONRONEY. Then you make copies from that from your tapes? Mr. MUMFORD. They are made in multiple copies for distribution through the 32 regional centers which serve the people directly with them. PRODUCTION OF BOOKS Senator MONRONEY. You produce those here in the Library of Congress? Mr. MUMFORD. No, sir. We have them produced, the records, by the American Foundation for the Blind and the Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Ky. Senator MONRONEY. On the braille? Mr. MUMFORD. On the braille. There are three contractors. Mr. Rossiter, do you have the names of the contractors on the braille? Mr. ROSSITER. American Printing House for the Blind, Clovernook Printing House for the Blind, Howe Press, and Perkins School for the Blind. Senator MONRONEY. The talking books are prepared for you, not by the Library? Mr. MUMFORD. That is right. Senator MONRONEY. Do you select the titles or do they select the titles? Mr. MUMFORD. We select the titles. This is done through advisory committees and our town staff, and the advisory committees include blind people themselves. COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS (SPECIAL FOREIGN CURRENCY PROGRAM) Senator MONRONEY. We have discussed rather thoroughly the appropriation, "Collection and distribution of library materials (special foreign currency program)," and the justifications will be included in the record. (The justifications referred to follow :) COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS (SPECIAL FOREIGN CURRENCY PROGRAM) |